A Respectable Actress by Dorothy Love

About the Book

★★★★★

When India Hartley is accused of murder, she has to uncover the deceptions of others to save herself.

India, the famous and beautiful actress, is now alone after her father's death and embarks upon a tour of theaters across the South. Her first stop is Savannah's Southern Palace. On the eve of the second night's performance, something goes horribly wrong. Her co-star, Arthur Sterling, is shot dead on stage in front of a packed house, and India is arrested and accused of the crime.

A benefactor hires Philip Sinclair, the best – and handsomest – lawyer in Savannah to defend India. A widower, Philip is struggling to reinvent his worn-out plantation on St. Simons Island. He needs to increase his income from his law practice in order to restore Indigo Point, and hardly anything will bring him more new clients than successfully defending a famous actress on a murder charge.

Because India can't go anywhere in town without being mobbed, Philip persuades the judge handling her case to let him take her to Indigo Point until her trial date. India is charmed by the beauty of the Georgia low country and is increasingly drawn to Philip. But a locked room that appears to be a shrine to Philip's dead wife and the unsolved disappearance of a former slave girl raise troubling questions. Piecing together clues in an abandoned boat and a burned-out chapel, India discovers a trail of dark secrets that lead back to Philip, secrets that ultimately may hold the key to her freedom. If only he will believe her.

Once again, Dorothy Love crafts a vivid and intriguing historical novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. A Respectable Actress follows India Hartley, adrift in the wake of her father’s death and falsely accused of murder. With consistent suspense and a delightful touch of romance, India’s story unfolds against the historic backdrop of cultured Savannah and the struggling, secret-laden Indigo Point, and with the help of Philip Sinclair, she slowly determines how to overcome the obstacles set before her and find her place in society. An entirely fascinating novel with a steady pace and a variety of characters, A Respectable Actress offers fans of historical fiction a great read. I would certainly recommend it to interested readers.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of A Respectable Actress and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions, be sure to check out what other reviewers think here, and purchase a copy of the book here.

About the Author

A former journalist, freelance writer, and college professor, Dorothy Love explores the intersection of history and human relationships to create novels that speak to the hearts of women everywhere. She is the author of the acclaimed Hickory Ridge novels set in her native state of Tennessee. After earning a master’s degree and Ph.D, she authored dozens of magazine articles before breaking into book publishing with a number of award-winning novels for preteens and young adults. The Hickory Ridge series marked her adult fiction debut. When she isn't busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband, Ron, and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.

Find Dorothy online at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

A Chameleon, a Boy, and a Quest by J.A. Myhre

About the Book

★★★★★

Mu, orphaned as a toddler, has lived his entire life in the heart of Africa. For as long as he can remember, he has served in the household of a great-uncle where he is unloved and ignored. In his drudgery-filled life, Mu has little hope of happiness and little hope that anything will ever change. But one day everything does change. On his way to draw water one morning, Mu is astonished when a chameleon greets him by name and announces that they will embark on a quest together. And what a quest it turns out to be! Mu faces danger and finds unexpected allies as they journey through an ever-changing landscape. Through his adventure, Mu learns many things about himself. Along with Mu, you will walk through Africa, encountering good and evil. Read carefully and you just may find out who you are too.

J.A. Myhre’s A Chameleon, a Boy, and a Quest offers a wonderfully adventurous tale for children and adults alike. Mu and his talking chameleon friend embark on a quest involving good and evil, set against the backdrop of African landscape. I loved the exotic and unique feel of the story and once I started reading, I couldn’t stop - and since the book is relatively short, it was easy to read in a sitting or two. Overall, A Chameleon, a Boy, and a Quest is a delightful read, and I would have no problem recommending it to interested readers.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of A Chameleon, a Boy, and a Quest and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions, be sure to check out what other reviewers think here, and purchase a copy of the book here.

About the Author

J.A. Myhre serves as a doctor with Serge in East Africa where she has worked for more than two decades. She is passionate about health care for the poor, training local doctors and nurses, promoting childhood nutrition and development, and being the hands of Jesus in the hardest places. She is married to her best friend and colleague Scott, and together they've raised four children for whom these stories were written as presents.

Find her online at her website.

A Refuge at Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky

★★★★★
Start reading here.

The Great War shakes the world of a spirited young woman and the brave British pilot she loves, taking her from London to her family’s magnificent country estate, and sending him into the war-torn skies over France. 
 
Penny Ramsey has always considered Highland Hall her home, but when Britain becomes involved in World War One she travels to London to assist her sister Kate with the eight orphan children she and her husband Jon have taken into their home. Doing her part for the war effort takes priority over Penny’s dreams of romance until she meets Alex Goodwin, a Royal Naval Air Service pilot in training.
 
Alex is determined to prove his worth and do his part to defend his country. Knowing he is heading off for the dangerous assignment of chasing Zeppelins across the front line in France, he feels it’s unwise to form any romantic attachments. But he can’t help admiring the pretty, warmhearted Penny and wondering what it would be like to find her waiting when he returns home from the war. 
 
As Penny writes to Alex, their friendship blossoms, and she becomes his tie to home and normalcy as he faces the hardships war. But being an RNAS pilot means confronting the enemy, and the fallout from those experiences push Alex beyond Penny’s reach. Can God mend the brokenness left by the losses of war? Will faith and forgiveness bring them together again?

The third in Carrie Turansky’s Edwardian Brides series, A Refuge at Highland Hall follows Penny Ramsey, a character who made appearances in both previous novels, The Governess of Highland Hall and The Daughter of Highland Hall. Using familiar faces, new challenges, and glimpses into the experience of World War I, Turansky tells another enjoyable, satisfying, and inspirational story. I know I certainly enjoyed getting to know Penny better, as well as Royal Naval Air Service pilot Alex Goodwin, seeking to follow and trust God with the future, and I think any fan of the series will be pleased with this addition. I recommend it to interested readers and look forward to reading more from Carrie Turansky in the future.

Thanks to Blogging for Books, I received a copy of A Refuge at Highland Hall and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

You Can't Text a Tough Conversation by Mike Bechtle

About the Book

★★★★✩

When it comes to the tough stuff, we need real, face-to-face conversations. But have we lost the art?

There's no denying that as our use of technology has increased, our communication skills have decreased. Technology creates the illusion of being in touch, but we lose the deeper meaning conveyed by body language, facial expression, and tone of voice. We text when we should talk. We tweet firings and breakups. We vent our frustrations with other people online. Whether it's with a spouse, a friend, a boss, a co-worker, or children, those tough conversations create high anxiety. In the end, what we have are broken relationships and hurt feelings.

In this timely book, communication expert Mike Bechtle shows you how to build strong relationships, offering tried-and-true methods to navigate the muddy waters of having tough conversations – in person. With his help, you'll learn to be a better listener, give and receive genuine feedback, saturate your relationships with kindness, and much more – so that you'll feel confident when it comes time to actually talk.

In his new book, You Can’t Text a Tough Conversation, Mike Bechtle addresses big topics of relationships, communication, and technology with beneficial insight. In a time when a lot of communication occurs via technology, reminders of how to effectively build strong relationships and hold tough conversations face-to-face are always important and valuable. Easy to understand and put into practice, You Can’t Text a Tough Conversation offers any reader a generally good and helpful read - I would recommend it.

Thanks to Revell Reads, I received a copy of You Can’t Text a Tough Conversation and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the Author

Mike Bechtle (EdD, Arizona State University) is the author of People Can't Drive You Crazy If You Don't Give Them the Keys and How to Communicate with Confidence. His articles have appeared in publications such as Writer's Digest, Pastors.com, and Entrepreneur. A frequent speaker and blogger, Bechtle lives in California.

Waiting on Wednesday: Their Fractured Light

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: Their Fractured Light

Author: Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Expected Publication Date: 1 December 2015

A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide.

The Mystics of Mile End by Sigal Samuel

About the Book

★★★★✩

Sigal Samuel’s debut novel, in the vein of Nicole Krauss’s bestselling The History of Love, is an imaginative story that delves into the heart of Jewish mysticism, faith, and family.

“This is not an ordinary tree I am making.

“This,” he said, “this is the Tree of Knowledge.”

In the half-Hasidic, half-hipster Montreal neighborhood of Mile End, eleven-year-old Lev Meyer is discovering that there may be a place for Judaism in his life. As he learns about science in his day school, Lev begins his own extracurricular study of the Bible’s Tree of Knowledge with neighbor Mr. Katz, who is building his own Tree out of trash. Meanwhile his sister Samara is secretly studying for her Bat Mitzvah with next-door neighbor and Holocaust survivor, Mr. Glassman. All the while his father, David, a professor of Jewish mysticism, is a non-believer.

When, years later, David has a heart attack, he begins to believe God is speaking to him. While having an affair with one of his students, he delves into the complexities of Kabbalah. Months later Samara, too, grows obsessed with the Kabbalah’s Tree of Life – hiding her interest from those who love her most – and is overcome with reaching the Tree’s highest heights. The neighbors of Mile End have been there all along, but only one of them can catch her when she falls.

Sigal Samuel’s The Mystics of Mile End tells a fascinating and powerful story involving Judaism and mysticism. Though I’m sure I didn’t always understand completely the aspects of mysticism, I still could not put down this beautifully written novel with its richly complex characters. Dealing with various issues involving loss, grief, faith, and relationships, each main character reacts in a different way and undergoes unique development. All together, these characters offer an interesting story in The Mystics of Mile End, one that lingered long after I finished the reading of it.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours, I received a copy of The Mystics of Mile End and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions of the novel, click here.

About the Author

Sigal Samuel is a writer and editor for The Jewish Daily Forward. She has published fiction and journalism in The Daily Beast, The Rumpus, BuzzFeed, Tablet, The Walrus, Event, Descant, Grain, Prairie Fire, Room, and This Magazine, among others. She has been a featured writer at the Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival and a winner of Room’s writing contest. Her plays have been produced in Montreal, Vancouver and New York City, winning Solo Collective Theater’s Emerging Playwrights’ Competition and The Cultch’s Young Playwrights’ Competition. While pursuing her MFA in creative writing at the University of British Columbia, Sigal won the Laura Fowler Award for outstanding women in the fine arts. She received the Lionel Shapiro Award and the Chester Macnaghten Prize for creative writing from McGill University. Originally from Montreal, she now lives and writes in Brooklyn.

Visit Sigal at her website and connect with her on Twitter.

The Wedding Chapel by Rachel Hauck

Is sixty years too long to wait for love? Two stories of romance, one in 1949 and one in the modern day, meet in Rachel Hauck's The Wedding Chapel. When Taylor Branson takes an assignment in Heart’s Bend, the job does more than send her back to her hometown, but into a world of family secrets buried beneath the sands of time. When Taylor’s journey intersects with Jimmy “Coach” Westbrook's, they rediscover the heartbeat of their dreams and that the love they long to hold is right in front of them. And worth every waiting moment.

Join Rachel in celebrating the release of The Wedding Chapel by entering to win a copy and a $100 cash card—perfect for finishing up your Christmas gift shopping!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A copy of The Wedding Chapel
• A $100 cash card

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on December 31st. The winner will be announced January 4th on Rachel's blog.

About the Book

★★★★★

A lonely wedding chapel built as a tribute to lost love just might hold the long-awaited secret to hope and reconciliation.

For sixty years, the wedding chapel has stood silent and empty. Retired football hall-of-famer Jimmy “Coach” Westbrook built the chapel by hand, stone by stone, for his beautiful and beloved Collette Greer, whom he lost so many years ago. The chapel is a sanctuary for his memories, a monument to true love, and a testament to his survival of the deepest pain and loss.

Photographer Taylor Branson left her hometown of Heart’s Bend, Tennessee to make a new life for herself in New York. Taylor had lots to run away from, not least of all a family history of broken promises and broken dreams. Love catches Taylor off guard when she falls for Jack Forester, a successful advertising executive, and their whirlwind romance leads to an elopement – and then to second guesses. Jack, in spite of his very real love for Taylor, is battling his own demons and struggles to show her his true self and the depths of his love for her.

When Taylor takes a photography assignment in Heart’s Bend, she is thrown back into her own past and encounters family secrets buried deep beneath the sands of time. And when Taylor and Coach’s journeys collide, they each rediscover the heartbeat of their own dreams as they learn that the love they long to hold is well worth waiting for.

The Wedding Chapel is now hands-down my favorite book I have read by Rachel Hauck. With dual timelines as well as relationships, this latest novel from Hauck tells a beautiful story of love, forgiveness, healing, and restoration surrounding a country wedding chapel. Taylor and Jack got caught up in a whirlwind of romance, but now their marriage seems to be falling apart. Jimmy and Colette were high-school sweethearts in 1949, yet circumstances kept them apart for sixty years. As the two couples navigate the challenges of their New York City and Heart’s Bend, Tennessee lives, they discover what second chances could look like. An heartwarming novel with a good blend of the contemporary and the historical, The Wedding Chapel will surely please fans of Rachel Hauck, as well as readers of both contemporary and historical romance. I would highly recommend it.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of The Wedding Chapel and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

About the Author

Rachel Hauck is an award winning, bestselling author. Her book, The Wedding Dress, was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times, and Once Upon A Prince was a Christy Award finalist. Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and two pets and writes from her ivory tower. Visit her online at her website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Every Little Thing: Making a World of Difference Right Where You Are by Deidra Riggs

★★★★★

"If you've ever thought that you aren't one of the world changers, get ready to be proven wrong." -Sarah Bessey, author of Jesus Feminist and Out of Sorts

Everyone has had that moment – we see a need and we think, Someone really should do something about that, never imagining that we might be the answer. We don't have the time, the expertise, the money. We've got careers to manage, bills to pay, meals to prepare, and families to attend to. Besides, who are we to think we can change the world?

In this encouraging and empowering book, Deidra Riggs calls you to accept God's invitation to join him in making a difference right where you are, right now. She shows you that you were created with a purpose and with the capacities to fulfill that purpose. And she reminds you that while it's not up to you to fix the world, it is up to you to join God – and his people – in his redemptive work.

Every Little Thing: Making a World of Difference Right Where You Are is an inspiring book. Deidra Riggs writes with grace and encouragement to help her readers understand that even the little things matter. With God, each person has the capacity to make a difference, big or small, and this is important to remember. Every Little Thing is a greatly beneficial read, and I enjoyed it and have no hesitations in heartily recommending it. Read it.

Thanks to Baker Book Bloggers, I received a copy of Every Little Thing and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the Author

Deidra Riggs is an influential blogger who writes at her own blog, Jumping Tandem, as well as DaySpring's (in)courage and TheHighCalling.org, for which she is managing editor. She has been a speaker for TEDx and women's retreats. She and her husband have two adult children and live in Nebraska. Learn more at her website.

Miracle Drug by Richard L. Mabry, M.D.

About the Book

★★★★★

Overcoming these odds will take more than a miracle drug – it will take a miracle.

The infection wasn't supposed to happen, but it did. The treatment was supposed to take care of it, but it didn't. Then Dr. Josh Pearson discovers why – his patients, including the former President of the United States, have been dosed with a different strain of the original virus, one that is universally fatal. The only chance for survival is treatment with an experimental drug, but the manufacturer might already have discarded its supply.

As if treating the President of the United States isn't stressful enough, the situation goes from bad to worse when Rachel Moore, a nurse Josh is falling in love with, falls ill. With the nation's eyes on him, Josh must pull off a miracle to save a man who holds a good deal of power and the woman who holds his heart.

Once again, Dr. Richard L. Mabry delivers an intriguing medical drama with his latest novel, Miracle Drug. Starting immediately with a murder and then adding a deadly, unknown illness, a high-profile patient, and a touch of romance, Mabry’s novel is packed with thrilling and suspenseful twists and turns. I started reading and I couldn’t stop until I reached the conclusion for Josh and his fellow characters. Overall, Miracle Drug offers fans of medical thrillers an addicting and enjoyable read, and I would recommend it.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of Miracle Drug and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions, be sure to check out what other reviewers think here, and purchase a copy of the book here.

About the Author

A retired physician, Dr. Richard Mabry is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels of medical suspense. His previous works have been finalists for the Carol Award and Romantic Times Reader's Choice Award and have won the Selah Award. He is a past vice president of American Christian Fiction Writers and a member of the International Thriller Writers. He and his wife live in North Texas.

Find him online at his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Murder at the Courthouse by A.H. Gabhart

About the Book

★★★★★

Welcome to Hidden Springs
Pop. 732 731

Michael Keane's stressful days as a Columbus police officer are done. He's ready to relax into his new position as deputy sheriff in his sleepy hometown. Nothing ever happens in Hidden Springs, Kentucky – and that's just fine with Michael.

Nothing, that is, until a dead body is discovered on the courthouse steps. As Michael works to solve the case, it seems that every nosy resident in town has a theory. When the sheriff insists Michael check out one of these harebrained theories, his surprising discovery sends him on a bewildering search for a mysterious killer that has him questioning everything he has ever believed about life in Hidden Springs.

Bringing with her a knack for creating settings you want to visit and an uncanny ability to bring characters to life, A. H. Gabhart pens a whodunit that will keep you guessing.

Murder at the Courthouse by A.H. Gabhart begins the Hidden Springs Mystery series with a solid cozy mystery. In the small town of Hidden Springs, Michael Keane settles into his new position as deputy sheriff, expecting nothing too exciting to happen. Then, a body is found on the courthouse steps and keeps Michael busy - and guessing. Following the mystery as Michael worked to solve it kept me intrigued and eager to find out what happened. A thoroughly satisfying mystery, Murder at the Courthouse offers a worthwhile read to fans of the genre and I would recommend it. I can’t wait to see what Gabhart has in store next with Murder Comes by Mail.

Thanks to Revell Reads, I received a copy of Murder at the Courthouse and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.

About the Author

A. H. Gabhart is Ann H. Gabhart, bestselling author of many novels, including Angel Sister, Small Town Girl and Love Comes Home, and several popular Shaker novels such as The Outsider, The Believer and The Innocent. Ann grew up in a small rural town in Kentucky much like Hidden Springs, but she is happy to report nobody was ever murdered on her hometown's courthouse steps. Ann and her husband still live on a farm near that same little town in Kentucky. Learn more at her website.

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom

About the Book

★★★★★

Mitch Albom creates a magical world through his love of music in this remarkable new novel about the power of talent to change our lives.

This is the epic story of Frankie Presto – the greatest guitar player who ever lived – and the six lives he changed with his six magical blue strings

Frankie, born in a burning church, abandoned as an infant, and raised by a music teacher in a small Spanish town, until war rips his life apart. At nine years old, he is sent to America in the bottom of a boat. His only possession is an old guitar and six precious strings. His amazing journey weaves him through the musical landscape of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, with his stunning playing and singing talent affecting numerous stars (Duke Ellington, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley) until, as if predestined, he becomes a pop star himself.

He makes records. He is adored. But Frankie Presto’s gift is also his burden, as he realizes the power of the strings his teacher gave him, and how, through his music, he can actually affect people’s lives. At the height of his popularity, tortured by his biggest mistake, he vanishes. His legend grows. Only decades later, having finally healed his heart, does Frankie reappear just before his spectacular death – to change one last life. With the Spirit of Music as our guide, we glimpse into the lives that were changed by one man whose strings could touch the music – and the magic – in each of us. 

A lifelong musician, Mitch Albom’s passion shines through on every page. Written with an ear for rhythm and cadence, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is a classic in the making. Heartrending and inventive, Albom’s latest is infused with the message that “everyone joins a band in this life” – and that music, like love, has the power to affect us all.

I didn’t know quite what to expect when I picked up The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto, but for some reason, I certainly didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Now, I can easily say, it is a highly enjoyable and worthwhile read, and I have no problem recommending it. In this novel, Mitch Albom tells a captivating, musical, beautiful tale of the life of Frankie Presto. Well-written with a great style and full of interesting characters, The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto is a surprisingly hard-to-put-down book and will not leave interested readers disappointed. Read it.

Thanks to TLC Book Tours, I received a copy of The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions of the novel, click here.

About the Author

Mitch Albom is a bestselling novelist, a screen-writer, a playwright, and an award-winning journalist. He is the author of six consecutive number-one New York Times bestsellers and has sold more than thirty-four million copies of his books in forty-two languages worldwide. Tuesdays with Morrie, which spent four years atop the New York Times list, is the bestselling memoir of all time.

Albom has founded seven charities, including the first-ever full-time medical clinic for homeless children in America. He also operates an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He lives with his wife, Janine, in suburban Detroit.

Find out more about Mitch at his website, connect with him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter, and sign up for his newsletter.

Waiting on Wednesday: At Love's Bidding

Hosted weekly by Breaking the Spine 
to spotlight eagerly-anticipated upcoming releases.

Title: At Love's Bidding

Author: Regina Jennings

Publisher: Bethany House

Expected Publication Date: 1 December 2015

After helping her grandfather at their Boston auction house, Miranda Wimplegate discovers she's accidentally sold a powerful family's prized portrait to an anonymous bidder. Desperate to appease the furious family, her grandfather tracks it to the Missouri Ozarks and makes an outlandish offer to buy the local auction house if they promise not to sell anything until he arrives.

Upon their arrival, however, they discover their new business doesn't deal in fine antiques, but in livestock. And its manager, ruggedly handsome Wyatt Ballentine, is frustrated to discover his fussy new bosses don't know a thing about the business he's single-handedly kept afloat. Faced with more cattle than they can count - but no mysterious painting - Miranda and Wyatt form an unlikely but charged partnership to try and salvage a bad situation getting worse.

Midnight Jesus: Where Struggle, Faith, and Grace Collide... by Jamie Blaine

★★★★★

The heart of God can be found in the unlikeliest places, in the unlikeliest people.

Jamie Blaine is an unconventional, and actually quite accidental, psychiatric crisis interventionist whose work takes him to "the least of these." A gifted storyteller, Blaine shares heart-wrenching and sometimes hilarious stories of everyday people who need to know God is there in their darkest hours – people dealing with secret shame, doubt, desperation, even suicide. Humans looking for wholeness, looking for Jesus.

Painting beauty where it seems none exists, Midnight Jesus helps readers transcend their own struggles, showing how truth can come from the strangest places. They will meet people like * Skeeter and Wookie, two homeless guys who show that community happens wherever there is shared need and a willingness to give * Pastor Ponder who holds an altar call after his sermon at the psych ward and says it's the best church service he's ever had * Kat, the tattooed hairdresser who dreams about Jesus and longs for spiritual connection, who shows that you can't judge a book by its cover * Jesus, who makes an invisible cameo in every story.

As Blaine writes, "I am one wrecked and dirty treasure, but God still decides I am worth the effort to save." Jamie Blaine is the kind of writer whose view of the commonplace transforms life into the transcendent.

In Midnight Jesus: Where Struggle, Faith, and Grace Collide, Jamie Blaine pulls together stories based on his various experiences and tells a unique and inspiring narrative of finding Jesus in the strangest places. With humor and grace, he portrays a cast of interesting, quirky characters from a variety of environments, including a roller rink, psych ward, and megachurch, and as he tells the stories surrounding them, I really enjoyed Blaine’s voice and perspective. Overall, Midnight Jesus is an engaging read, with thought-provoking insight, and I really liked it. I would have no problem recommending it to interested readers - it’s worth reading.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Midnight Jesus and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

About the Author

Jamie Blaine is a licensed sex and suicide specialist who has worked in psych wards, megachurches, rehabs, radio stations, and roller rinks. He is the non-fiction editor of the L.A. literary collective The Nervous Breakdown, contributor to the online faith magazine OnFaith, writer for Salon.com, The Weeklings.com, Bass Guitar magazine, Drummer U.K. magazine & America's best-selling street paper The Nashville Contributor.

The Splendor of Ordinary Days by Jeff High

When several military veterans’ emotional wounds trigger anger and unrest in Watervalley, Dr. Luke Bradford learns some important lessons in service, courage, love, and sacrifice in The Splendor of Ordinary Days by Jeff High. As Luke struggles to understand Vietnam War veteran Luther’s past, and restore harmony in Watervalley, an unforeseen crisis shatters a relationship he values dearly.

Join Jeff in celebrating the release of The Splendor of Ordinary Days with a Kindle Fire HD 6 giveaway!

 

One grand prize winner will receive:

• Signed copies of all three Watervalley books
• A Kindle Fire HD 6

Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on October 27th. The winner will be announced October 28th on Jeff's blog.

About the Book

★★★★★

Readers of Jan Karon's Mitford series and Patrick Taylor's Irish Country series will fall in love with Jeff High's funny, heartfelt Watervalley series.

The pastoral charm of small-town Watervalley, Tenneesse, can be deceptive, as young Dr. Luke Bradford discovers when he's caught in the fallout of a decades-old conflict…

After a rocky start as Watervalley's only doctor, Luke Bradford has decided to stay in town, honoring the three-year commitment he made to pay off his medical school debts. But even as his friendships with the quirky townsfolk deepen, and he pursues a romance with lovely schoolteacher Christine Chambers, several military veterans' emotional wounds trigger anger and unrest in Watervalley.

At the center of the clash is the curmudgeonly publisher of the local newspaper, Luther Whitmore. Luther grew up in Watervalley, but he returned from combat in Vietnam a changed man. He fenced in beautiful Moon Lake, posting "Keep Out" notices at the beloved spot, and provokes the townspeople with his incendiary newspaper.

As Luke struggles to understand Luther's past, and restore harmony in Watervalley, an unforeseen crisis shatters a relationship he values dearly. Suddenly Luke must answer life's toughest questions about service, courage, love, and sacrifice.

I love a good story full of Southern small-town charm (and challenge). In The Splendor of Ordinary Days, Jeff High visits Watervalley, Tennessee and the town’s only doctor, Luke Bradford, for the third time. Now, I haven’t read the previous two books in High’s Watervalley series (More Things in Heaven and Earth and Each Shining Hour), but that did not keep me from thoroughly enjoying this third novel, since High sprinkles in enough background detail to allow me to understand. The Splendor of Ordinary Days offers a delightful story with a steady pace and quirky characters, as Luke continues to develop relationships in the small town and deals with the town’s curmudgeon, Luther Whitmore. An all-around enjoyable read, it has me eager to read more of the Watervalley series. I highly recommend The Splendor of Ordinary Days.

Thanks to LitFuse Publicity Group, I received a copy of The Splendor of Ordinary Days and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. To read other opinions, be sure to check out what other reviewers think here, and purchase a copy of the book here.

About the Author

After growing up on a farm in rural Tennessee, Jeff High attained degrees in literature and nursing. He is the three-time winner in fiction and poetry of an annual writing contest held by Vanderbilt Medical Center. He lived in Nashville for many years and throughout the country as a travel nurse before returning to his original hometown, near where he now works as an operating room RN in open-heart surgery. He is the author of the Watervalley novels, including More Things in Heaven and Earth and Each Shining Hour.

Connect with Jeff at his website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Coming Clean: A Story of Faith by Seth Haines

★★★★★

“I suppose we’re all drunk on something.”

Seth Haines was in the hospital with his wife, planning funeral songs for their not-yet two-year-old, when he made a very conscious decision: this was the last day he wanted to feel. That evening, he asked his sister to smuggle in a bottle of gin, and gave in to addiction.

But whether or not you’ve ever had a drop to drink in your life, we’re all looking for ways to stop the pain. Like Seth, we’re all seeking balms for the anxiety of what sometimes seems to be an absent, unresponsive God – whether it’s through people-pleasing, shopping, the internet, food, career highs, or even good works and elite theology. We attempt to anesthetize our anxiety through addiction – any old addiction. But it often leaves us feeling even more empty than before.

In Coming Clean, Seth Haines writes a raw account of his first 90 days of sobriety, illuminating how to face the pain we’d rather avoid, and even more importantly, how an abiding God meets us in that pain. Seth shows us that true wholeness is found in facing our pain and anxieties with the tenacity and tenderness of Jesus, and only through Christ’s passion can we truly come clean.

Coming Clean: A Story of Faith by Seth Haines chronicles his thought process through his first ninety days of sobriety. While Haines discusses specifically his experience with a drinking problem, his journaled thoughts also dwell heavily on the broader experiences of pain, healing, and unanswered prayers. A book that offers no easy answers, Coming Clean does tell a genuinely encouraging and accessible journey of faith, doubt, and the mystery of God. It is an excellent read that I found quite thought-provoking, and I would not hesitate to recommend it. It is certainly worth taking the time to read.

Thanks to BookLook Bloggers, I received a copy of Coming Clean and the opportunity to honestly review it. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own. (I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”)

About the Author

Seth Haines is a writer, attorney, and worship leader, but most importantly, he has experienced firsthand the grace that comes from a God who lives in mystery. Seth and his wife, author Amber Haines, live in Northwest Arkansas with their four sons. He writes about faith, creativity, marriage, and culture at SethHaines.com. Seth has been a contributing writing to In Touch Magazine, The High Calling, Tweetspeak Poetry, and to blogs by Ann Voskamp, Lisa Jo Baker, Tsh Oxenreider and many others.